Same Life, Different Points of View
by musicexpresseswhatwordscan't
Summary: When Eponine's abusive life ends at school by meeting the Amis, she is filled with joy, but when she comes home and sees the cops, worry fills her instead. In her house, she meets her new guardian, her aunt. She moves away to a new city for safety reasons, but when she comes back to her home town and sees the Amis again, will everything still be the same? Enjolras/Eponine
1. Chapter 1

**6****th**** Grade**

They weren't the most popular group of people, but they weren't wallflowers. It was a group consisting of eight people, seven boys and one girl. They all came from different backgrounds, but they considered each other family.

This was where Eponine thought all the trouble in her life started. 6th grade was the year where everything became the roller coaster of life that parents would always talk about. You would gain independence and make your own choices. She didn't struggle with this though because it was the way she had been living since she was nine. Her life was a struggle that was only soothed when she hung around her closest friends, Les Amis.

Les Amis was a group of boys who, at first, was quite annoyed with her. She was sassy, bossy, and a kiss-up to the teachers. Then, one day, they took notice of her at recess and saw how lonely and sad she actually was. Gabriel Enjolras, the leader of the so-called Amis, walked over and invited her to hang out with them. And who wouldn't accept? Especially at the age of eleven, when a group of particularly cute boys invites you, you don't reject them. And Eponine was damn proud she didn't say no. That group made more than just her day, but her whole year. They even liked her back as the closest friend. From that day, their friendship blossomed.

The group consisted of seven boys: Gabriel Enjolras, Alex Combeferre, James Courfeyrac, Michael Grantaire, Damon Joly, Jean (Jehan) Prouvaire, and Daniel Bahorel. They all preferred to go by their last names though. Each had a special talent that benefitted the earth. She was sure they were going to be saving the world one day. They had already started. Halfway into the year, the group started boycotting the lunch. They used their charms to persuade the girls, and their strength to persuade the other boys.

It was the second-to-last school day. The summer weather was hotter than usual. The sun's heat radiated to their backs, making their shirt stick to their skin. The little group was shooting hoops despite the weather. Combeferre had was guiding Eponine's arms, teaching her how to shoot properly. Enjolras stood at the side of the basket, slightly glaring. He wasn't denying the fact that he liked Eponine. It was too obvious at this time. She was everything a guy liked a girl for at this age, but the problem was, other boys liked her too. Like Combeferre, his best friend, and Combeferre was going the farther than he was. Especially like right now, but Enjolras decided to go with the second best option: shoot like he is the best.

He did manage to impress Eponine, but he had always impressed her. He was, after all, her crush. And in sixth grade, this is very serious. So later on that day, when he held her hand, she didn't mind at all, and was quite pleased that finally, her love life had started to crank up.

Later on in the day, they stood together at carpool. Eponine usually walked home with her younger siblings since her parents didn't give a fuck about them. Enjolras smiled at her, trying to imprint her image into his head before summer began. Her tear-drop face, large dark brown eyes, long lashes, plump lips, and her brown hair that fell in light curls, framing her face perfectly. A couple of seconds later, a black Lamborghini pulled up in front of Enjolras.

"I'll see you soon, right? You'll remember me?" he asked as half of his body was in the car.

"'Course I will! How could I ever forget?" Eponine said, giving him her signature dimpled smile.

He smiled back, the skin around his eyes wrinkling just a bit. His hair was a in the typical boy style of this age, that weird shaved-in-the-back-and-bang-in-the-front-thingy. She took one last good look at him since he wasn't coming to school tomorrow. Then she smiled.

"Goodbye and have a great summer," she said.

"You too," he replied with his ever so perfect manners. He closed the door, buckling the gray seatbelt. Enjolras faced the driver, "And you saw…?"

"I saw nothing," the driver replied monotonously.

Eponine watched the black car drive away. Soon enough, all of her friends had left, and then the doors burst with the next wave of screaming children, this time the elementary school. Azelma's strawberry hair bobbed toward her, and then eventually her full face and body. Azelma smiled at Eponine and came up next to her. They exchanged greetings, and then jumped when a little boy behind them screamed "snake!" then laughed. They turned to see their little kindergarten brother grinning. Eponine rolled her eyes, picked him up, then they headed south to their neighborhood. Honestly, they didn't want to, but they knew the consequences of not helping their parents "borrow from wealthy friends".

"Ya know 'Ponine, Henri told me 'dat there's a new frozen yogurt place jus' a block from 'da school! Could we go?" Gavroche asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry Gav, but not today. I'm broke. But, tomorrow we can to celebrate the end of the school year," Eponine suggested.

"So is every other kid, Ep. They'll have no more by the time we get there," Azelma explained. Gavroche pouted, and they all shared the same thought. Why couldn't they just have a normal life?

Before they knew it, and faster than they wanted, they reached their house. But it wasn't dirty, boring, and crappy. This time, the place was buzzing with activity. Police men ran in and out the house with little riches that the three children's parents stole. Then, the cops came out with the Patron Minette, all except one, who technically wasn't really part of the group yet. Montparnasse was running, and he got away fast. Eponine pulled her siblings behind a bush and waited until the cars that were full of the gang left. Then, Eponine called it safe to enter the crime scene again. Without the other police noticing, she slipped in with her siblings.

Their house was torn, furniture was upturned, doors were broken, and there was some blood stains. Two cops approached the children, and they were about to run, if it weren't for the police standing behind them too.

"Are the Ms. Eponine Thenardier?" asked the first cop. He was wearing shades and had ruffled black hair. Eponine stood in front of her siblings protectively.

"That's me, sir. What happened?" she asked, delaying him to try and find an escape route.

"That story can be saved for another time, but now, you're all going to be sent away from here and meet your new guardians," he informed her as gently as he could.

"Please! Don't take them away from me! We've been through too much together. I'm lost without them!" Eponine pleaded. She could hear Gavroche sniffle behind her.

"Ma'am, please calm down. You won't be separated from your siblings," he told her. He felt pity for the girl who seemed to be the only one who cared about her family.

Eponine relaxed, "We won't?"

"Not at all my dear. In fact, I hope you will all stay together. And maybe I can prove that not all your family is a terror," a woman to the left of the children. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a confident air.

"Who are you?" Azelma asked.

"'Cuz you sure as heck am not my mother," Eponine stated. The lady smiled and reached out to touch Gavroche.

"That is true. But on your legal forms, I'm now your legal guardian. Let me introduce myself, I'm Leanne. I'm your mother's sister, and most likely your new mother," the lady explained. She smiled even wider, and in her eyes, Eponine saw all the qualities of a perfect mother. Her life would change, and she hoped in a good way.

A/N: Hi! This is my first story. Just the first chapter though. Do you guys like it? Please leave me a comment, review, or advice. I would really appreciate it. Do you think I should continue it? I was planning to make it focus on Eponine through her school life, but mostly high school. Please, tell me all you think! And I don't own anything, except maybe the idea, not the characters!-Franky


	2. Aunt Leanne

**Aunt Leanne**

After gathering all their belongings, the Thenardier children had to follow their so-called "aunt". They were forced to go with her because she was the first contact and legal guardian ("if anything was to happen to your parents"). They walked just around the block and stopped at an old, tan minivan. Leanne unlocked the car, and Gavroche and Azelma jumped up into the seats. Eponine popped the trunk and stuffed the one suitcase holding all of their belongings in.

The children introduced themselves and their aunt greeted them. Gavroche was humming in his seat, and Eponine and Azelma were surveying their aunt. Her physical appearances were similar to their mother's, but she had a magnetizing atmosphere. She seemed to attract people's attention everywhere she went.

The van was travelling out of the city and into the next. Eponine's eyebrows scrunched together. The city was far more modern than her own. The narrow streets were packed with sports cars. Glass buildings and stores towered over everything. Eponine passed by a Harris Teeter, an Abercrombie and Fitch, and even a Luis Vuitton.

They stopped at a vintage looking building and drove into the garage. Leanne unbuckled her seatbelt and helped the kids in the back. Eponine got out herself, opened the trunk, and grabbed their suitcase. She wasn't really in the mood to talk with Leanne. She deserved an explanation. Where was her aunt all those years she got abused? Where was her aunt when they were born? Did she even want them here, or was she forced because she was the legal guardian?

Their aunt motioned them along to follow her. Azelma had Gavroche on her hip while Eponine rolled the suitcase. Leanne opened a metal door and let them through. Gavroche and Azelma stood in awe at the building. People went in and out through revolving doors. The large room was furnished with pure white carpets. Red, velvet love seats and sofas were spread out evenly, occasionally holding people. It looked like a hotel's lobby.

Leanne brought them to an elevator and pressed the up button. One elevator opened up right away, and they stepped in. Eponine was fuming with anger for some reason. She didn't know why she was mad at Leanne. Hell, she should've been thankful that someone they were related to came to take care of them, but she wished Leanne came sooner. Where was she all those years of misery, bruises, and malnutrition? Eponine could've been living in this luxury earlier!

Soon enough, the elevator stopped and Leanne led them through a dark hallway. Eponine inferred that the building was actually really old. It must've been recently converted into this modern living space. Leanne stopped at a door at the end of the hall with the numbers "437" engraved into it.

"I hope you guys like the place," Leanne said, smiling. The door swung opened to a large, open layout. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all next to each other. The theme was the same throughout the house: vintage/artistic. A stairway to the downstairs portion of the apartment was smack-dab in the middle. Gavroche had already made himself home in a rotating stool at the kitchen counter. Azelma was looking out the balcony. It was just Eponine who stood, unimpressed.

Her aunt looked concerned. "Do you like the layout, Eponine?" she asked.

"It's impressive," Eponine judged. "It's just- Can I talk to you?"

"Sure hon. Gavroche and Azelma, I'll just take Eponine to her room and show you to yours later, ok?" she asked them as if asking for their permission.

"Can I come?" Gavroche questioned from his place on the stool.

"Soon. Come along Eponine," signaled Leanne.

Eponine left the suitcase on her spot and followed her downstairs. The steps were wooden and rough, like a tree's trunk. Leanne led her to the last room on the right of a hallway. She opened the door, and inside was a plain room with a normal bed. A small wooden desk was placed at the corner of the room.

Leanne closed the door as Eponine walked across the room and examined her. Leanne faced Eponine and smiled softly. Eponine bit her lip, thinking of something to say that would convey her feelings.

"Eponine, do you trust me?" Leanne started for her.

"Just slightly, but I just met you so… Anyways," Eponine took a breath, "Where were you all those years when we needed you most? When I was only a child and I couldn't take care of myself, much less, my siblings? Why did you take us away from our home?! I was _finally _beginning to handle things at school! How do I know I can trust you? You are my mother's fucking sister! You could be just like the wretched monster I'm ashamed to call my mother!" She was now close to tears, a rare occurrence. It seemed that she was venting out all her anger onto this nice, beautiful lady!

"Please don't curse in this household," Leanne begged kindly, "Calm down, Eponine. I'm sorry I couldn't come any sooner! I didn't even know my sister was still alive, much less, had children. I don't expect you to trust me this soon into the relationship, but please, try. I- I don't want to mistreat you. I'm nothing like your mother personality-wise. I barely know you and your siblings, but I have a hunch that we will blossom into something great." She was now holding Eponine arm's length from herself, wiping the child's tears with her thumb.

"Can I trust you to be my mom?" Eponine whispered. She looked deeply into the eyes of Leanne. There was a sudden spark of hope in them, and Leanne smiled, reaching her eyes.

"I'll do everything I can to make your life normal," She replied.

"Maybe the world is a wish-granting factory," Eponine thought aloud.

"I can be your wish-granting factory as long as you use your wishes correctly," assured Leanne, "Now, we have three rooms to furnish, food to cook, and we still barely know about each other. Your father is a bastard. How could they keep my own nieces and nephew away from my knowledge?"

Eponine grinned, "'Please don't curse in this household.'"

Her aunt swung her arm around the young lady. "I am already starting to love you!"

Two weeks in, everything was settled. They were to stay with Leanne, and honestly, they didn't really mind it. She was everything a mother was supposed to be: kind, caring, watchful, and strict. They were eating well enough that their stomachs weren't empty. All of them tried to never bring up any conversations about Thenardier, and it was fine by them.

Eponine was just a bit miserable. She didn't get to see her friends one more time, maybe not ever again! The ties of Thenardier might still be in that vicinity, so Leanne kept them as far away as she could. The problem was, because of that, Eponine had to move to a new school and make new friends. She was okay with that, but- ENJOLRAS! He was driving her crazy! She was supposed to go a whole summer without him, and now, HER WHOLE SCHOOL LIFE?!

Eponine plopped down on her bed. Her room was already messy. The bookshelves were stacked with books, art supplies, and music sheets. Papers were scattered along the floor, and if she tried hard enough, she could here Leanne attempting to sing in the shower (but failing miserably). Her closet was packed with clothes. She had all the material things she could ever ask for, but was it enough to fill in the hole that her friends' missing presences made in her heart?

Someone knocked on the door, and Eponine let them come in. Gavroche skipped up to her, jumping next to her on the bed.

"'Ponine? What's wrong? Don't you like Aunty Anne?" Gavroche asked.

"'Course I do 'Roche! It's just, I really miss school. Crazy right?" Eponine joked, pulling him unto her lap.

Gavroche chuckled, "Yes, it is! I miss all my friends too 'Ponine, but at least we still have each other."

"Did you know that you are my favorite little kid of all time?"

"I'm not a little kid!"

"Right, sorry. I forgot that you were so strong and grown up!"

"You got it dude!" They both laughed. Material things wouldn't be able to fill that hole, but the fact that she had a real family might fill it up enough for her to be pleased.

A/N: Salute! I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day Weekend. Sorry this chapter didn't have much action, but when you move to a new place, nothing much happens usually. I just want to say thanks to everyone who actually read my story and liked it so far. I promise that it'll pick up, but for things to evolve, it takes time. Please give me some advice! Also, please review, like, or follow. Concrete Angel, I really like that idea. I hope you don't mind me using it. -Franky


	3. Getting Settled

**Settle Down**

"Eponine! Hurry up! You'll be late for school!" Leanne shouted down to her room.

"Yeah! I'm coming!" Eponine shouted back. "Maybe if these uniforms weren't so complicated I would be up there faster…."

It was the first day back to school. Eponine was heading to her new school with Gavroche and Azelma. The school wasn't too far, just about five blocks from their place. It was private, and Eponine was sure she was going to hate it.

She ran out of her room, grabbing her new adidas backpack before she left. She ran up the stairs, and her siblings stood there waiting for her. Gavroche looked uncomfortable in his new attire, tugging at his collar. Her aunt was swinging her car keys on her finger.

"Here's a granola bar. You woke up a bit too late for an actual breakfast," her aunt informed her as she passed Eponine a granola bar. "Now, let's get through this day!"

"I never caught what your job actually is Anne," Azelma said. They started calling her Anne because "Aunty Anne" was too long and sounded like the pretzel place. They walked down the hallway and got into an elevator.

"I never told you over the three months we spent together?" their aunt wondered. They all couldn't believe that three months had already passed. The children were growing up and getting healthy. They settled quickly into their new life.

"Nope," Gavroche said, popping the "p".

"I work as an interior decorator and sometimes a dancer," their aunt explained. She opened the metal door to the garage. Quickly, they made their way to the car.

"Is that why you signed 'Zelma and me to a dance center?" Eponine asked, still grumpy about the new arrangements.

"You have to make friends and meet new people!" their aunt exclaimed. "Don't be so anti-social. Dancing is a great way to release your feelings and be healthy!"

Gavroche chuckled. "You have to go to dance class! You have to go to dance class!" he taunted.

"Don't make me take that chocolate bar away from you," threatened Azelma.

"Chocolate bar?" their aunt asked, and then she grinned, "And by the way 'Roche, you have piano later."

He groaned in response, and the girls chuckled.

Eponine walked up to the new school. It was a large, brick building, with many glass windows. She made her way inside, then she said goodbye to Gavorche and Azelma. They had their classes on the other side of the building.

She walked down the linoleum staircase and into the basement, where the middle school was. Immediately, she was bombarded with paper airplanes, running boys, and gossiping girls. She pushed her way through, and to her locker. The locker was blue and could fit a whole body in it. _Rich kid school, _Eponine thought. She opened it up, stacking her books in the shelves. She set up a calendar, a whiteboard, and a picture of her and her old friends.

"New kid?" a vice behind her said. She turned to face a red head girl with teal eyes. She was smirking and opened the locker to the left of Eponine's.

"Um, yeah. My name's Eponine," she responded.

The girl smiled back, "I'm Musichetta. Welcome to Prestige. Try not to get run over by the boys."

"That seems hard considering the fact that they all keep running in here."

"True, but I think you'll manage. Do you know you're way around?"

"Not yet, but eventually. I always know my way around."

"Little Miss Independent. I like you. I can show you around. First class?"

"Geography with Mrs. Hamer?"

"Same here," Musichetta agreed. Eponine smiled at her, thankful that she already had a buddy. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Welcome back 'Jolras!" Courfeyrac sang as he swung his arm around Enjolras's shoulder.

"Hey! How's summer?" Enjolras asked back happily. Back to school meant seeing Eponine again, and going three months without her was way too much in his opinion.

"Enjolras!" Grantaire cried.

"'Taire! A beautiful day isn't it?" Enjolras asked.

"Whoa," Combeferre said, joining them, "Is it just me or does Enjolras sound like Shakespeare?"

They all opened their lockers which were right next to each other this year.

"Have any of you seen 'Ponine yet?" Joly came up to them asking.

"No. She usually gets here early. That's weird," commented Courfeyrac.

They all looked around the hallway. Kids in different colored shirts walked by, but none were Eponine.

Enjolras decided to take the situation into his own hands. He walked over to the office, the boys following him. He looked up at the receptionist at the front desk.

"Hi, hon! Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah, um, do you know where Eponine Thenardier's locker is this year?" he asked kindly.

"Let me check," she told him. A couple minutes later, she looked at him with pity. "I'm sorry, but Ms. Thenardier isn't enrolled to the school. I don't think she came back."

"Oh. Thanks," Enjolras muttered, leaving the office. All the boys looked at him questioningly.

"Did you get the locker number?" Combeferre asked hopefully.

"She doesn't have a locker here. She's gone," Enjolras replied dully.

"What?"

"She's gone, ok? She isn't enrolled into the school this year," he explained. They all nodded, and then they walked away. Enjolras stayed back a little bit. How could she leave him just like this? Was it some kind of joke? If it was, it wasn't funny to him. _I'll see you soon? _He remembered asking. _'Course! _She replied. _Bullshit. _His sunny day darkened up, and he felt a cold exterior build up around him.

The rest of the day, he was grumpy. He barely smiled or laughed. The rest of the year, he wasn't the same. He was cold and barely liked another girl. How could you when you were severely disappointed with the one girl you liked the most. He felt used. He buried himself in his grades. He stood stone-faced all day. His friends were worried, and then they learned to cope with it. He wasn't changing anytime soon, and they knew that. All throughout middle school, he was called "Marble Man" or "Apollo". Everyone was soon used to it, but that didn't stop the girl's crushes.

Enjolras graduated middle school as the valedictorian. Combeferre was the salutatorian. The boys got ready for high school. All of them were going to attend Hugo High.

Eponine made a lot of friends in Prestige. Musichetta, Bossuet, and especially Marius. She had a huge crush on him all throughout middle school. She followed him around everywhere. She followed him so much, she gained the title "Shadow".

For her first three years of high school, she went to Olympus, another private school. Musichetta, Bossuet, and Marius had all moved to Hugo High. She missed them, but she still had some friends from Prestige.

During her summer of her third year of high school, Leanne joined her on the couch.

"We have to move," she said blatantly.

"Wow, that was pretty straight forward," Eponine muttered.

"Sorry Nina, but my job is needed in another place. It pays better," Leanne explained.

"Where are we moving too?"

Leanne bit her lip, "Back to your old town, Charlottesville."

**A/N: Hello! I hope you all liked this chapter. The story is about to get some action! *Does weird dance to emphasis what she was saying* Anyways, what do you guys think? Please! Review, comment, or like the story! I apologize for any mistakes, too. The more reviews, the better! I don't own anything! Except for cookies…. -Franky**


	4. Over Again

**Over Again**

"CHARLOTTESVILLE?!" Eponine asked, immediately jumped from the couch.

"Hon, I swear, you'll be safe," Leanne assured.

"Yes! Because it's totally safe to go ahead and move back to where you used to live! Where your parents used to abuse you! Where you risk the fact that your parents might've been released from jail! Where- where people used to bully you because you didn't have a stupid phone! Yes that's right, a phone!" Eponine shouted, her hands flying all around her.

"Eponine, you must understand that it's not easy taking care of three children with a low wage job like mine. The new company offering me this is giving me 20 times more than my salary today!" Leanne explained.

"Can't we move somewhere else? Like, I don't know, Chantilly? Centerville? Anywhere but Charlottesville."

"I thought you would be thrilled to see your old friends Eponine! And don't act spoiled! You may not have nothing like you used to, but it doesn't mean that you can get whatever you want! Sometimes things won't go your way!"

Eponine rubbed her face. "It's just, Anne- I'm sorry. I can't go back. This is for the sake of my siblings! They aren't toughened up as much as I am."

"Eponine," Leanne whispered taking hold of her shoulder, "Honey, you know I would go great measures to protect you, 'Roche, and 'Zelma. I have my reasons, though, for going back. I've already told Gavroche and Azelma. They're okay with it. It's just you. Just listen: Your friends from Prestige are at Hugo High. You can still continue dance there. Hugo has a great soccer and drama program. It's everything you've ever wanted in your school. You won't have to have such a small room in the new house. And, you can start new, all over again."

Eponine took a deep breath and balanced her options. Yes, she could start better and new for a _third time_, and yes, she could be with her old friends again. Then there was also the fact that she would have to see her old friends again, and she had the gut feeling that they were pissed at her for leaving. Enjolras especially. Oh, Enjolras! How could she have lived her life for 5 years after breaking her promise with the boy she liked more than anyone before? But she's so different now. He would never recognize her. So what's the harm in going back? The good options did out-weigh the bad…

"Fine," Eponine muttered.

Leanne smiled at her, "Thank you. You better get packing. We're moving this weekend."

"So, even if I said no to moving, we still would've been moving?" Eponine asked moving to get lemonade.

"Um, yeah," her aunt laughed.

(Scene change)

"Can't you take an effing break?!" Bahorel asked Enjolras who was ranting about how they needed to make a mark on Hugo since it was their last school year.

"Bahorel, for everything to turn out perfect, you have to have a plan!" Enjolras stated.

"Well, we're all not perfectionists here," Grantaire muttered.

The Amis had gathered in Les Musain, Charlottesville's most popular café. The café was more popular than the local Starbucks, and that was saying something. Maybe it was so popular because of its amazing hot chocolate, or maybe it was because the Amis frequented the café, and we all can't deny the fact that they were _really_ good-looking. Enjolras, the leader, was probably the most pined after boy in all of Hugo high. He had a strong jaw and deep, ocean blue eyes that could make you cower in fear or feel secure. His lips were pink, the bottom slightly bigger than the top. His hair was golden, like an angels. It fell in curls, and let's just say he would be Apollo if Apollo ever decided to be a human being.

"Boys! I made some of my special mint lemonade just for you since it's so hot today," Madame Houcheloup, the restaurant owner, exclaimed from the back.

"Yes!" Courfeyrac shouted. All the boys rushed toward the back, grabbing and thanking the old widow. Enjolras shook his head. The boys were still so child-like. They needed to focus, but Enjolras didn't deny himself a glass. The sparkling, cool drink soothed his throat after speaking for so long. He looked out the window and thanked the air conditioning. It was so hot outside that he could see the heat rising off the asphalt.

"So, I need to tell you guys that we're gonna be closed after this weekend," Madame Houcheloup said.

"What? Why?" Combeferre asked from the corner.

"Well, the place has been busy lately. So, we're getting renovations from this excellent designer named Leanne Goodman. Ever since you boys came, well, the school year is always rushing with you fans.

"Ma'am, we're not that popular. And they come here for the food, not us," Enjolras said politely.

"Whatever you say Mr. Enjolras. I was wondering though if you would like to help with the construction. It would help save a lot of money," she said.

"Sure, I don't see why not…" Marius, the newest member of the group, said.

"Wonderful! Thank you boys!" She clapped her hands and then headed back.

As the boys were packing up to leave, Marius was actually thinking. Goodman, Leanne. He swore he had heard that name before! Eh, never mind, he'll remember later.

(Scene change to the weekend)

"Do you have all your personal belongings?" Leanne asked, checking around the house making sure everything was packed.

"Check," Gavroche said from his place against the wall next to the door. He was playing on his DS.

"This is the 10th time you've checked, Anne. I think we've got everything," Eponine laughed.

"It's always good to check," Leanne said getting up, "Okay, well if we've got everything, we should head out and see this house!"

They left the apartment. Azelma started singing, "C'mon vamanos! Everybody let's go! C'mon let's get to it-"

"Stop it 'Zelma…" Eponine warned.

"You know that we can do it," squealed Azlema.

Eponine rolled her eyes, rolling the big, red suitcase behind her. They made their way to the van and got in. She was in the front seat getting ready to face her new challenges like she did five years ago. They drove down the forgotten roads that led to their old home. Eventually, they entered a middle class neighborhood that Eponine remembered her parents robbed once. The drove up a drive way of a cute, small house. It was pained a nice shade of gray and had a small porch. They got out.

"Welcome home," Leanne proclaimed. _All over again, _Eponine thought.

**A/N: Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time. It's just, finals are coming up for me and this year has been the hardest so far, and I went to a Sergio Mendes concert, and had to volunteer for hours, and ugh…. So much….. So, I'll try to update as often as I can. Also, I realized that throughout my story so far, my dividers for the different scenes have not been staying when I publish them, so sorry about that too. Please! I love reviews and sorry about any mistakes! Enjoy.**


	5. Swimming

**Swimming**

After unpacking the trucks and moving the boxes inside of her new colonial style house, Eponine explored the first floor of her new abode. The house was pretty big. It had two floors, the bottom, though, had been fixed up to be more open. Rooms seemed bigger and flowed in a nice way.

"Why don't you guys go swimming?" Leanne asked. "It's still early in the day! And I hear the pool is super fun here."

"Yeah, if you want to be a) a pervert of the swim team, b) a rich kid, or c) a wannabe-cool-kid," Azelma explained.

"It's true," agreed Eponine, "Whenever we went, people would judge us. The pool is pretty judgmental and full of those popular jocks." She plopped down on the white, leather couch.

"I didn't know pools had stereotypes… C'mon! You guys can't be antisocial this whole summer!" Exclaimed Leanne. She was setting up her pictures and signs around the house.

"Besides, I would much rather help you set up in here. We haven't even settled the plans for the rooms!" Eponine replied.

Gavroche popped his head out of the basement door. "Actually, I-um- kinda want to go," he smiled.

"Girls, take your brother to the pool. Please? I can set the house up, and I'll call you if I need help. How about that?" Leanne offered. She looked tired, dark circles under her eyes, breathing hard, weak smile, and fatigue. She had been like that ever since the offer of her move, and Eponine was starting to get worried.

"Are you okay?" asked Eponine. She got up from the couch

"Yes, Ep, I'm fine. Thank you. Just a little more tired than usual. The new job has a lot of pressure on me," Leanne assured. "Now go and have fun! Don't take your summer for granted!" She waved them away and got back to work.

"Whale then," Azelma muttered. Following Eponine to the boxes containing their clothes.

"I hate when you say that," Eponine whispered.

(To the pool!)

Eponine walked behind her siblings, long shirt over her swimsuit and iPhone in her hand. The good part about their new house was that it was just a couple of blocks from the pool. Walking to the pool was pretty fun. All around them, there were beautiful willow trees shading the path, and little decorative lights lined it too.

As they neared the pool, Eponine started to feel self-conscious, but tried not to let it show. She never really liked the pool. There were always boys who eye you like you're a piece of meat, and girls, wearing those scantily clad suits which barely even looked like swim wear, who judge you on your image. Little kids ran around dropping their food, making the place messy. Tweens tried to appeal to those older than them, cannonballing, flipping, and showing off. The main problem, though, was bathing suits. She never felt comfortable in them. They were always so tight, conforming to your figure.

Like in every neighborhood pool, they asked for some sort of identification, and Eponine showed them her new pool card. They let her pass through, and Gavroche went straight to the pool, set his stuff on a table, and then jumped in. Eponine and Azelma put their stuff next to his. While Azelma went to rinse before going in, Eponine took her shirt off to uncover her red, but modest, bikini. She then looked around.

Different and better were the first two words that popped into Eponine's head. The pool was "L" shaped, with a small, circular, kiddie pool on the side. On the other side, an elevated wooded area had a volleyball net and sand. Picnic tables were scattered around it, every other one holding a couple of teens. The asphalt was clean, no stains what-so-ever splattered the sparkling surface. At the far back of the pool, a Ping-Pong table stood in the shade of a snack bar. The snack bar had a long queue in front. Two diving boards were being used by what Eponine assumed the diving team, and the swim lanes were full of the swim team. A small basketball hoop over one side of the pool was being used by Gavroche, who found a near-by basketball.

Eponine walked over to the edge of the pool, looking in, when suddenly Azelma came up from behind and pushed her. A life guard blew his whistle warning them, and Eponine shouted sorry back.

She glared at Azelma, "Nice. I'm pretty sure out first impression to the pool committee is wonderful and not at all trouble makers."

Azelma jumped in. "Relax, 'Ponine. They probably get that all the time."

Eponine rolled her eyes and joined Gavroche at the small hoop. She got back up on the cement and let her feet into the water, enjoying the occasional splash of the ball.

Eventually, the swim team caught her attention. They were on their fifth lap and didn't even slow down a bit. Then, one man, looking about her age, pushed himself out of the pool on the coach's command. His golden hair was stuck to his face, yet she could still see the curls that would've been there if his hair was dry. He was ripped, muscular arms and legs, and evident abs. His face was angelic, a strong jaw, perfect nose, and pink lips. She couldn't see his eyes, though, for they were covered by his goggles.

The coach directed him to the diving board and he followed. Eponine had to admit he was damn hot, supermodel hot, but she had a slight disliking for him already. He seemed arrogant, careless, and filthy rich. All the girls would sneak glances at him, and some just plain out stared. To the ones that stared, he seemed to have this fearful gaze, even with goggles on. As a distraction, Eponine decided to go back to the pool.

As she stood up, a small group of boys, also from the swim team, bumped into her.

"Woah, sorry," a freckled brunette man apologized, catching her before she hit the floor.

"Hands off! I'm fine," Eponine ordered. She resisted making contact until she got back up on her feet again.

She felt the hands leave her side. "Sorry. Just tryn'a- Eponine?"

Turning around, she saw that friendly face. "Marius!" They smiled and shared a hug.

A cough interrupted the small reunion. It belonged to a dark haired man, who looked undeniably cute.

"Marius, you never told me you had such a hot girlfriend," he scolded. Marius turned pink, blushing, while Eponine laughed, letting go of him.

"I'm not his girlfriend. Just a close friend," she explained.

"Mmmmhmm," another man, who looked a bit more grown up than the last, sounded. Everyone chuckled.

"Guys, this is my friend, Eponine," Marius said, recovering. A couple of eyes bulged to the familiar and unique name.

"Eponine?" the first boy asked.

"Um… Yeah…." Eponine agreed. _Why are they so surprised that my name is Eponine?_

"Yeah. Her name is Eponine. Eponine, this is Courfeyrac, Grantaire, Joly, and Bahorel," informed Marius.

Eponine kept her face cool and nodded, but in her mind, "HOLY SHIT! WHAT?!" ran through.

A splash came from the pool, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Sorry, Ep. I was…" Gavroche began, "Marius!" He ran over to the boy, avoiding any lifeguard's attention.

"Gavroche! Look at you! Three years ago, you were a little man-" Marius was interrupted by Gavroche.

"I ain't little," Gavroche muttered.

Marius laughed, "No, you weren't. Hey, I gotta go back to swim practice, but maybe we can meet up later? I can bring 'Chetta. And you can explain what you're doing here."

She laughed, "Of course! Alright, bye." She waved at him and followed Gavroche to the pool.

"Marius still treats me like kid," Gavroche complained, shooting the ball into the basket.

"He's just like that, but I know you're grown up," Eponine declared.

He just smiled in response, and he dropped the ball and swam with her for a bit. They played Marco polo, until Courfeyrac and Grantaire joined them in the pool.

"The nachos here are amazing," Courfeyrac tempted. He caught Eponine glancing at the swim team and back at him with a worried expression. He chuckled, "Don't worry, Grantaire here and I aren't part of the relays, and so we're off."

Grantaire smirked, "You been here before?"

Gavroche looked at Eponine. She reached out for him, "No, we're new here. We moved from Upstate." She offered a smile, and Grantaire smiled back.

"Hey, Taire, get Gavroche a snack, my treat," Courfeyrac smiled.

"Can I go please?" Gavroche pleaded.

Eponine sighed and nodded. They got out of the pool, Grantaire took a couple of bucks from Courfeyrac's pant pocket. Eponine kept treading the water as Courfeyrac approached her.

"I know you remember me Thenardier," he said seriously.

"I'm not a Thenardier anymore," She replied stubbornly.

"Okay," He threw his hands up. "But you cut the Amis in a way that will take forever to be fixed."

"Well, I'm sorry that my parents were arrested Courf!"

"What?"

"That's why I had to leave. Did you think I wanted to leave you all? You, Grantaire, Joly, Bahorel, Combeferre, and… Enjolras? I loved you all! You were my first friends!"

He swam over to her and held her, bringing her over to the side of the pool. She was being too expressive that treading the water wasn't going to keep her up.

"I came home with Gav and Zel, and the first thing I saw was cops. They were swarming our house. My parents were led away to jail. You know why. I went in, and I was under custody of Leanne Goodman, my aunt. We moved to Uptown, and she wanted us to leave our old lives, for safety purposes. Lately, she got a job in this town, and we had to move back, so, POOF! Here I am!"

"So, you didn't leave because we were annoying or something?" He chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, she hit him. "No. I'm not _that_ inconsiderate!"

"Yeesh! It was a joke!"

"I'm not laughing!"

"I can make you!" Gavroche said, coming back from the snack bar and jumping into the pool.

Grantaire laughed, setting down the nachos on their table, and jumping in after him.

"Hey!" Azelma said popping out of nowhere.

"Ah! Azelma!" Courfeyrac mock bowed.

"Haha. You gonna help 'Ponine before she drowns because of the two boys tickling her?" Azelma questioned. He turned around.

"Shit. Hey! Get on my shoulders!" Courfeyrac said, pulling her from them.

"Ohhh! It's on!" Grantaire laughed, pulling Gavroche on his shoulders.

"For Narnia!" Eponine giggled. A full out chicken fight started. Eponine hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

As she was wrestling Gavroche, she asked for a favor, "Can you guys not tell Enjolras? I feel like I should break it to him."

"Eponine and Enjolras!" Gavroche taunted. She pushed him off of Grantaire, and he splashed into the water.

They all laughed when he resurfaced, wet and still surprised.

"As you wish," Grantaire sang.

"Where is Enjolras?" Gavroche asked.

Courfeyrac looked around. "He's right-"

The tall blonde man Eponine saw earlier appeared, blocking the sun. His curls bounced, still dripping a bit. His goggles were off and his ocean blue eyes looked like he found her unusual. He was stone faced. An image of a young, happy sixth grade boy flashed before her eyes.

"Enjolras!" Grantaire smiled.

He glanced at Eponine, his expression not changing. "C'mon, get out. We have to help out at the café." And with that, Enjolras walked towards the bathroom.

**A/N: OH MY GOSH! I WENT TO A CONSERT AND HEARD LEA SALONGA SING A MASH-UP OF I DREAMED A DREAM AND ON MY OWN! AND SHE SANG A WHOLE NEW WORLD WITH DARREN CRISS! IT WAS THIS CONCERT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE TYPHOON YOLANDA VICTIMS! Happy summer! Well, at least for me. I know some of you may still be in school, but you're almost there! You can do it! I hope you likes this chapter. Sorry about the delay, I couldn't get the chapter to be the way I wanted it. Please, give me advice, comments, reviews! Thank you for reading my story. I'm still working on my writing so… I hope you guys understand if you see any mistakes. **** I'll update as soon as I can. I'm going to be traveling soon, so it might take a while. Again, Happy summer!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I don't own anything, sadly. Who doesn't want to own Les Mis?**

**A Piece of Mind**

"So, did you see that chick 'Taire and Courf' were hanging with?" Bahorel wiggled his eyebrows.

"She seems familiar," Combeferre observed. He leaned against the sink, trying to think of where he'd seen that face before.

"Marius," Joly called, "You seemed to know her. Who is- DON'T STEP ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR! THAT'S SO UNSANITARY! YOU ARE JUST _ASKING_ THE GERMS TO COME TO YOU! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!"

Marius lifted his foot from the tile floors. "Oh, um sorry," he said sheepishly. "Anyway, I know her. Yeah, we went to Prestige, my middle school, together. She's really nice. Her name's Eponine."

All heads except for Bossuet's, Bahorel's, and Joly's, who'd already heard of her name, turned. Shocked expressions stared at Marius. Feuilly dropped his sunscreen. Combeferre's mouth gaped. Jehan started writing in his notebook with a surprised and happy expression.

"Eponine?" Combeferre asked.

"Yeah. Eponine Goodman," Marius agreed, confused.

A wave of relief swept over most all of the men. They resumed what they were doing before.

"Joly and I had the same reaction," Bahorel said from his place near the doorway. "We don't need _her_ coming back and fucking everything up again like last time."

"She didn't 'fuck everything up', Bahorel," Combeferre argued, "We don't know why she suddenly disappeared, so we can't blame her for anything yet."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Marius wondered out loud.

"We never told you of our old friend?" Feuilly questioned.

"Nope," Marius answered.

"Well, that story can be saved for later," Combeferre said. He grabbed his duffel bag, wiped his glasses, and then joined Bahorel. They were supposed to be heading to Les Café Musain to help Madame Houcheloup with the packing and moving for the remodeling.

"Well, no need to worry," began Marius, "She's different. My friend, she's nice, caring, smart, independent, and musically talented. She can sing with so much expression!"

"Good for your friend Marius," Enjolras replied, walking in from the pool and missing the whole conversation before, "But keep her away from Les Amis. She just spells out distraction."

Grantaire entered the bathroom, "Just wait 'till you hear her name…" he chuckled.

"R, I don't care what her name is," responded Enjolras. _Actually, I kinda do. No, no. Actually, you don't. You have a duty, no time for girls right now. _Enjolras couldn't deny the fact that the girl at the pool had caught his eye. She was petite, but in a cute way. Even with that, she had long slim legs, one of a dancer. She was maybe 5'4. Long, brown waves were pulled into a loose bun on top of her head. The bun brought out her square face, but it fit her well. She made it work, complete with dimples whenever she laughed, smiled, or grinned. Those high cheekbones of hers even accentuated them. Her eyes were a warm chocolate, framed by long lashes. Full, pink, soft lips completed her facial features.

_Snap out of it, _Enjolras thought. He rinsed, trying to push all thoughts of this girl out of his head. Pulling his jeans and polo on, he got into a van with half of the boys. They were all headed to the same direction though, Les Musain.

(Scene change)

"I'm bored!" exclaimed Gavroche. He was on a chair, watching as everyone else swam. Azelma rolled her eyes, continuing to type on her phone.

"Anne just texted me," Eponine informed them, "We need to go to the mall. She needs some hangers, an apron, paint brushes, and told us that we need more clothes."

Gavroche groaned, "I hate shopping for clothes! Do we have to?"

"How about this," started Eponine, "I'll drop you and 'Zel off at home, and I'll go shopping myself."

"Deal," Gavroche smiled.

After going home, taking a quick shower, and getting some money, Eponine headed to the mall, which was also conveniently close to the neighborhood.

In about 30 minutes max, Eponine had bought everything. She was hungry and tired, and she decided to eat at one of those small food chains. After ordering and sitting down, a happy red head plopped down in front of her.

"Have you been watching out for the boys? They might run you over," Musichetta giggled.

Looking up, Eponine grinned, "'Chetta! How are ya'?"

"Wonderful," Musichetta bent over hugging her then sat back down. "Bossuet tells me he saw you at the pool, meaning you must have seen the town's pack of "Hot Boyz", as the girls call them."

"Hot indeed. Friendly too, except for one, and he happens to be the best looking."

"Enjolras didn't treat you like his princess?"

Eponine shook her head. Musichetta was her only friend from Prestige who knew about her past. "If anything, he looked at me like a rat." She glared at her fries.

"You know, after constant pestering, I found out that you're the reason."

"I'm the reason of him being an ass?"

Musichetta giggled, "Yeah. He can be one of the most intimidating people, or he can be the person you can count on for some lunch when you've forgotten your own. But he is mostly intimidating. I've never met anyone who can make a group of girls cower with just a glance!"

"Good god, I've created a monster."

"Eponine, Combeferre told me that you two were very close. At the end of one of your school years here, you promised him something. Something he was looking forward to, but you disappeared, and that's one of the worst heartbreaks one can receive. He thought he was never going to see you again."

"And I can fix it! I can change him. Everything will be back to normal."

"Ep, it's not as easy as it sounds. He's build a wall, and not even the strongest of cannons can bring it down. You need to fight like hell, and bring him down slowly."

_And bring him down slowly I will, _Eponine thought.

**A/N: Hey! This is just a filler chapter so… I swear, I'll get back to business as soon as I can, but I thought you guys deserved a little background info. **** I'm glad a lot of you enjoyed that last chapter. I feel so loved! Thank you for reading! Please review, comment, or follow! Happy summer!**

**-Franky**


	7. Five Lockers Down

**Five Lockers Down**

On the last day of summer, Leanne arrived home skipping. The children looked at her skeptically, for it had been unusual for the past months.

"Let's go to Carlyle of dinner, or, no, IN-AND-OUT! Yes! Let's go to In-and-Out!" Leanne suggested.

Azelma laughed, "Are you okay?"

"I'm wonderful! Wonderful! They called me wonderful!" Leanne danced around laughing. She picked up Gavroche and spun him around. Everyone was laughing. Leanne let go and plopped down on the couch. Gavroche looked dazed, and then he fixed his beanie.

"Okay, what happened?" Eponine asked, teasingly.

"They loved what I did with the Café! I've been promoted! But we're not moving. It's amazing! I get a bigger pay!" Leanne explained.

"That's wonderful, Anne," Eponine agreed.

"Well, let's not let that money go to waste!" Gavroche interjected. "In-and-Out burger, here we come!"

The small family had something akin to a feast. The table was full of fries, burgers, and milkshakes. At the end, Azelma raised her glass of chocolate shake.

"Drink with me," she chuckled, "To the life we now know, and an amazing summer!"

"To an amazing summer!" They all responded, and then they clinked their glasses, celebrating the night away.

(The next day)

_Beep, beep, beep, _Eponine's alarm sounded. She grunted, slapping her hand over the clock. _First day of senior year!_ She thought. _The bus arrives at 7:30. 7:30…. _She jumped, "Oh my gosh, it's already 7:15!"

She got up, rushing to the bathroom. She was about to open the door, when it slammed open by Azelma, hitting her hand and stubbing her toe.

"Ah! Shi-" Eponine began, catching herself, "Ship. I said ship."

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry," Azelma apologized.

Eponine shook her head, "Just get out."

Azelma moved. Quickly, Eponine got into the shower, rushing. She dried off, running across the hall to her room. Panting, she pulled on some leggings and a tank top. She pulled on the first shirt she saw, which was a sleeveless, flow-y shirt with a camouflage design. She stuck a beanie on her head, and she stuffed her feet in white converse.

"Eponine!" Leanne shouted.

"Coming! I'm coming!" Eponine shouted back. _Fuck, where the fuck is my backpack?!_

"Looking for these Eponine?" Gavroche teased from her doorway with her old adidas back pack from seventh grade and her accordion folder.

"That isn't funny 'Roche," she scolded, slowly approaching him.

His eyes widened, and he ran down, taking the bag with him.

"Oh, don't you dare!" She screamed, grabbing her phone as she left her room.

Gavroche ran from Eponine, chuckling. She glared at him the whole time.

"Guys! Cut it out!" Leanne demanded. She was in sweats, holding coffee in her hand.

"Yeah, Gav! Cut it out!" Eponine warned.

"No, no, no, not today!" He laughed.

"Please today! Gav, I'm serious! I need that backpack!" Eponine pleaded.

"And I need my chocolate!" Gavroche told her.

"Fine! We'll go to the stupid café that you love to go to. Just give me my damn backpack and folder back," Eponine said through gritted teeth.

"Language, Eponine," Leanne warned.

Gavroche smirked, "What's the magic word?"

"Please?" Eponine forced out.

"Okay, here ya' go," he tossed her the backpack and folder.

A bus's horn honked outside. Leanne pointed at Eponine, passed Eponine her wallet, and then hugged her goodbye.

"Have a sweet first day, hon," Leanne called out to her. Eponine waved, and then she ran to the bus, hopping on.

The first thing Eponine was greeted with was paper. Then, screams, shouts, and giggles filled the air. Eponine looked around, looking for at least one of her friends.

"Hey, kid, c'mon. Just take a seat," the driver urged. She glared at him, and he turned away.

She stepped row after row, none of the ruckus quieting down. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and pulled her down. She screeched.

"Shhhhh…. No need to fear," a smooth voice assured, "Courfeyrac is here." He let go of her, laughing.

She pouted, "You are still one of the most childlike people I've ever met."

"It's part of the package," he shrugged, still smiling.

"What package? The Baby-Alive one?" Eponine teased.

He wrapped an arm around her. "Still sassy as ever."

A blonde tapped Courfeyrac from the back, and he turned around, starting a conversation. Eponine rolled her eyes, then paid attention to what was in front of her.

Soon enough, the bus stopped. Everyone started filing out, Eponine following.

"Courf," Eponine whispered.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I have no idea where anything is here…" Eponine started.

"Does little Eponine need help?" Courfeyrac teased, earning a slap on the arm.

"Fine, bastard," Eponine replied, "I'll find my own way."

"Alright! Goodbye! Hey, and good luck!" Courfeyrac shouted to her. She smiled and waved, walking away.

"God, I need help," she muttered to herself.

Walking to the office, she asked for her schedule, homeroom, and locker number, which everyone received last year. Her classes included French, Poli-Sci, economics, English, history, gym, art, journalism, art, and theatre. Homeroom was with a teacher named Mr. Moran, and her locker was in the west end, number 23, combination 24/6/01. She got a map of the school, and found her way to her locker.

Popping the lock, she stuffed her books in, setting everything up. She kept examining the books, complaining in her head about their weight. All of them could ruin students' backs. Scientist showed that 5-10 pounds should be the limit. Eponine made a mental note to complain to the school about this.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the giggling of girls, all suddenly flooding the hallway. She positioned her mirrors strategically in her locker so that she could see around her from all angles. All around her were the girls she had been hearing, mostly cheerleaders, but all had their eyes in the same direction, to her right. She opened her locker a bit more, backing up to get a good view of what they were all looking at.

To her right, five lockers down, stood a tall blonde man, the same one from the pool. The same child from her childhood, the same man she supposedly broke, was shuffling through his locker. An expression of concentration was plastered on his face.

The crowd of fangirls belonging to him suddenly parted like the red sea, revealing a Barbie like cheerleader. She walked up to him, kissing him on the cheek. He turned, she smiled, and then he turned back to his locker. Eponine snickered. She started talking to him, and losing hope, the crowd dispersed.

"Colette," a voice from behind her said.

Eponine whipped her head around, seeing Grantaire. "What?"

"Her name," he pointed to the Barbie, "Is Colette. She's the girl Enjolras's parents are arranging to marry Enjolras. At least, I think that's what they're doing. She's from a rich family, like Enjolras. We call her the Rich Bitch. R.B. for short."

Again, Eponine snickered. "Does Enjolras know about this?"

"Nope," Grantaire confirmed her suspicions. They laughed together.

Eponine looks back at her locker, stuffing her first subject in her bag, history. She took her maroon beanie off, letting her waves fall.

"Do you know where the history classes take place?" Grantaire asked knowingly.

"What do you think?" Eponine answered. She slung her back pack on her shoulder.

"I think I should escort you mademoiselle, to classe d'histoire," Grantaire offered.

She smiled, "Gladly, Monsieur Grantaire." They laughed, heading down the hallway with linked arms, not catching the sidelong glance that the school radical was throwing them.

(Enjolras's POV)

"01/6/24," he muttered, opening the lock attached to his locker. A girl five lockers down was arranging her books, occasionally humming a small song. Her voice was a soft alto. Suddenly, the humming was blocked by whispers, giggles, and footsteps. _Yay! It's that time of day again when girls check you out, _Enjolras thought sarcastically. _And your forced girlfriend should be here in 3…2…1…_

Lips pressed against his soft cheek, and a perfectly manicured hand rested on the small of his back. He turned to the beautiful face of Colette. How he hated that face… He turned back to his locker, finally able to hear the soft humming of the girl five lockers down.

"How was your summer, babe?" Colette asked him from behind.

"It was sweltering hot," he responded curtly. He got up, straining to hear the soft humming, but instead heard laughter and receding footsteps. He turned, faintly disappointed to find the girl leaving, and with Grantaire of all people. He squeezed his eyes shut. Why should he be disappointed about a girl?

"New kid," Colette pointed out. "Your friend seems to have a certain fancy in her."

"Yeah, they know each other," Enjolras agreed, turning back to his locker.

(Eponine's POV)

After an hour of history, Eponine headed down the staircase to the theatre, where her next class was. As she was rushing down, she accidently hit a blonde girl's arm, knocking her papers all over the floor.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry," Eponine apologized.

She shrugged, smiling, picking the papers up. "No problem. I should've been walking faster."

"No, it was my fault," Eponine insisted, helping the girl pick up her papers.

A boy screamed behind them, "Yo! Get outta the way!"

Eponine turned, her signature stare on, "Yo! Get outta my line sight!"

The boy scuttled away. The blonde laughed, and Eponine helped her get up.

"Have you ever considered theatre? I think you would be a great actor!" She said.

"I have. I'm actually going to theatre right now, if I happen to find out where the theatre is."

The blonde smiled, "You must be new here. I can show you, after all, I am going there too."

Eponine smiled at her, "Thanks."

"No problem!" the blonde exclaimed. "I'm Cosette by the way."

Eponine quickly turned to her, eyes wide, "Eponine," she introduced coolly, watching as Cosette visibly stiffened. "Goodman," Eponine added. "Eponine Goodman." Cosette relaxed, and turned to her.

"Well," she started, "I do believe this is the beginning of an amazing friendship."

**A/N: Hey! So Cosette has been introduced, and so has a girl named Colette. I hope none of your names are Colette, but sorry if it is. Eponine bumping into Cosette like that wasn't originally my idea. That idea belongs to Todrick Hall in his mini-series Pop Star High. Tell me what you think! I don't own any of the characters except for Colette. If you have any ideas, please, don't be afraid to tell me! I drew a little picture of Eponine the other day. Please, check it out! It's on my tumblr: .com **

**-Franky**


	8. Can it Be?

**Can It Be?**

Shouts of, "I haven't seen you in forever!" and "Hey man, what's up?" filled the air as Eponine was lead into the auditorium by Cosette. She was thankful to have the girl at her side to guide her, or else she would've been run over, just like her first year at Prestige.

"Sorry about the commotion," Cosette shouted over to her. She was leading Eponine down the middle aisle of the grand room.

"Mmhumm…" Eponine was able to stutter out. Truthfully, she didn't care about the noise because she was too much in a daze at the sight of the room.

Auditorium or theatre didn't seem appropriate to name the great architecture. Opera house was more fitting, Eponine thought. The ceiling high above was painted to look like marble, and from the center hung a giant light that looked like a pearl pendant. The walls were covered with red paint and held a bust of a famous writer or singer from the middle ages to the 1800's every here and there. Faux red velvet hugged the seats. The aisles were also covered in a red carpet, the edges had a small gold intricate design. Two bronze columns stood erect, one on each side of the stage. The two columns held up a black bar-like thing to hold up lights, and the equipment was then covered with curtains using the same velvet of the seats.

"How the hell did you guys afford this?!" Eponine exclaimed once Cosette and she sat down in the front row.

Cosette laughed, "This high school has always been the best with theatre. We've been earning great reviews since the mid-90's. The school was very supportive, and after much fundraisers and donations, we were able to rebuild the auditorium."

"Wow," Eponine breathed. "How long has this been here for?"

"Maybe, I don't know, 10 years now?"

"I- this- just-ugh- WOW!"

Cosette laughed, throwing her head back and letting her perfectly curled hair fall. Eponine watched her with slight jealousy. Of course, here she was again, and rich looking, healthy, pretty, sweet. Yes, this was the Cosette from her childhood, she could never forget the miserable face, torn clothes, and unfortunate life. Well, unfortunate until that man came to get her. But Eponine didn't hate her, not only because she was so nice, but also because she, too, had felt the abuse, and the saving.

A loud cough broke her out of her thoughts. Up on stage, a large woman, maybe around her 50s stood tall and commanding. The theatre quieted down. To her far left, she saw Les Amis, as she learned they called themselves. Then she also noticed that the girl was here again, Colette. She was leaning against Enjolras, trying to snuggle up to him when he was obviously uncomfortable. He was stiff and he looked unhappy, but apparently that's how he'd been the past few years.

"Hey," Musichetta whispered behind Eponine. She jumped, turning around and rolling her eyes at Musichetta. "Just a warning, don't speak unless this bitch tells you too. I learned that the hard way." She pointed at the teacher.

"Okay," Eponine whispered in return.

The lady on stage started to speak in a loud, strong voice that matched her appearance, "Good morning class. My name is Mrs. Caballero. I run a tight ship here, so screw things up, and you'll fail this class. I've been in charge for almost twenty years now, and look at the successful theatre. Without me, you'd probably have to sing and dance at a petting zoo."

Eponine leaned back in her seat. This lady seemed conceited and pushy. How was she supposed to enjoy theatre when this bitch would probably be pushing her around, making everyone stressed out?

She continued, "Let's start with introductions, starting from the right to the left."

One by one each student introduced themselves. As it neared Eponine's turn, she stole a glance at Enjolras. She still didn't want him to know it was her. She was looking for options to try and distract his attention away from the names.

"Your name miss?" Mrs. Caballero asked, stopping right in front of her. All eyes turned to her for interrupting the smooth line of names. She felt the heat rising up to her cheeks.

"Your name?" Mrs. Caballero demanded this time. Eponine took a glance to the left, finding Colette whispering into Enjolras's ear.

She took the chance, "Eponine, ma'am."

The teacher scrunched her nose, "I need you to be on the ball missy. And don't call me 'ma'am' it makes me feel old." She turned dramatically on her heel and walked to the other side of the aisle.

Eponine crumpled down in her seat. Great, she already had a teacher thinking she was the day dreamer kid.

"Hey, Eponine, it's ok," assured Cosette.

"Yeah, I know. It takes more than a little upturned nose to bring me down," Eponine told her.

All of a sudden, Eponine heard the teacher squeal with joy, "Colette! Darling! How good it is to see you!" They shared a hug, and Eponine rolled her eyes. This Colette chick seemed like the queen of the school.

"She kinda reminds me of Regina George," Eponine said to no one in particular.

"That's right sister. She is the Regina of Hugo. She's been getting everything she's ever wanted just because she 'daddy' is the school's superintendent," Musichetta informed her.

"She gets the lead of every single play so far, even if her voice sounds like Ms. Piggy's," Cosette giggled. The little group of girls laughed.

After introductions, they were all to sing the a quick scale so that Mrs. Caballero could organize them into parts for any musicals they might want to do in the future. As Eponine went up to sing, she felt Caballero examining her. She quickly looked up, challenging the teacher, not letting her see the fear she held.

"Your scale," Caballero demanded. She scribbled some notes on her clipboard.

Eponine complied. Caballero's features softened. She then asked Eponine sing a couple of lines from a song.

Eponine breathed,

"As long as he needs me.

Oh yes, he does need me.

Despite of what you see,

I'm sure that he needs me."

It was a small, but she sang it with a strong voice and with much emotion.

Caballero looked up at her, a small smile playing at her lips. "Enjolras! Get up here for a few seconds please!"

Enjolras turned, obediently leaving the line for the boys. He glanced at Eponine, and she offered him a smile, but he didn't return it. She asked them to sing a small harmony, grinning to herself as they sang the short duet.

Eponine didn't deny it, they sounded really good together. Both of them sang with passion. He seemed to know his harmonies, too.

Soon enough, the bell rang, and Caballero let the class out. Cosette said goodbye to Eponine, rushing out the door because her class was far, and Musichetta stayed with Eponine, helping her pack.

"You guys sounded really great up there together," she complimented Eponine.

The other smiled, "Thanks. You have a one of those really nice voices that can reach really high and still stay strong, though. Hey, do you know the way to the poli-sci class?"

"No, but I know someone who does." She grabbed Eponine's hand before she could protest and led her to the group of boys, catching the one Eponine was half-hoping she wouldn't pick and half-hoping she would.

"Enjolras, can you be ever the gentleman and lead my old friend here to poli-sci?" Musichetta asked sweetly, nudging Eponine towards him.

Enjolras was never one to refuse someone a favor, so he nodded once, showing his displeasure even though he agreed. Musichetta then left, claiming she would be late if she stayed any longer.

Enjolras grabbed his backpack and turned to the doorway, Eponine took that as her cue to follow. He lead her down the halls, turning right, then left, and then up a staircase or two. The silence was killing Eponine, it was too awkward, and besides, she had to make amends with this guy.

Thankfully he said the first words, the first words they had ever shared since the last day of school in sixth grade. "You sing beautifully."

She looked down at her shoes, "Thank you. You have a great voice, too."

He nodded in thanks. Yeah, it wasn't much, but Eponine still felt that familiar burst when talking to him. Sadly, the walk seemed too short, as they had reached their destination.

Eponine entered the classroom, greeted by Courfeyrac and Marius. She sat near them and soon the class started.

(Enjolras)

There was something about this girl that made his skin tingle and mind malfunction. It was as if _she_ had come back to haunt him and remind him of the pain _she_ put him through.

He settled next to Courfeyrac, unpacking his things. The teacher, Mr. Morrigan, stood behind the podium.

"I call this session into order. We'll take attendance first," he declared. Everything had to be handles like in court. "Renee?" He only called first names because of how small the class was.

"Here."

"John?"

"Here."

A few more names passed until one caught his attention.

"Eponine?" Enjolras sat up straighter scanning the room. Nobody here looked like her, nobody except…

"Here," the new girl answered. He turned to look at her, brown eyes, dark hair, and small frame. No, no… Can it be? Was that his Eponine?

**A/N: Hey, sorry I didn't update in a long time. I was spending some time with my family in another country, so I couldn't really do much. This is a kinda crappy fic, so thanks for staying with me even though! I have most of my outline all set and it's about 20 chapters. If you have any suggestions, or anything, please don't be afraid to review! Every author likes their feedback! I don't anything. **

**-Franky**


	9. Reliving Memories

**Reliving Memories**

Enjolras rushed out of the classroom before Eponine could explain things. She _still_ didn't want to tell him yet. She made up a whole elaborate lie about who she was during the class. After the professor had said her name, Enjolras stared at her for about five minutes, and then he ignored her for the rest of the class.

Eponine was surprised at his reaction. She was hoping for something different, maybe something akin to hope, happiness, just something positive.

"I think Enjolras took that well," Courfeyrac laughed.

"You think so? He literally rocketed out of the classroom," Eponine observed.

Marius stood confused, "What?"

"I mean, I think he took it better than I expected," Courfeyrac explained.

"Took what better than expected?" Marius asked.

"And what did you expect?" Eponine wondered.

"Maybe slap you and then make out with you despite the circumstances," suggested Courfeyrac.

"That's a little over the top," Eponine stated.

They both laughed and Marius stood there, completely lost in the conversation. They were about to leave when Eponine called over her shoulder, "Marius! Are you gonna go to lunch or what?"

He rolled his eyes, and followed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

(TO THE CAFETERIA!)

"I'll have the chicken strips, please," Eponine pointed to the small tray of chicken. The overly cheery lunch lady smiled as she passed Eponine the tray.

"Thanks," she whispered, inching away from the lady whose smile almost seemed plastered on her face.

"You're welcome!" the lady shouted to her.

Eponine turned around to hide her scared emotion, coming face to face with Courfeyrac and Grantaire.

"So are you gonna tell him it's really you?" Grantaire asked excitedly.

She pushed through the human barriers. "Not yet. It's still too early. I have a plan on how to do it."

Courfeyrac snorted behind her. "Or are you just scared to be rejected?"

She whipped around hissing, "I'm _not_ scared of a silly boy!" She calmed down, "I just want him to have a good point of view of me before I reveal myself to him. He must think I'm a terrible person right now, so I plan on showing him I'm not. I'm different."

"Whatever you say. You used to open up about secrets so easily, though! Well, as long as they weren't dark secrets. What happened?" Grantaire inquired.

"I realized sometimes the truth is too harsh for others to handle. We all can't always be strong," Eponine answered him.

"Hey! 'Ponine!" Marius called her over to the table where Les Amis were sitting. She walked over to the table, Grantaire and Courfeyrac behind her, and was about to sit down next to him when she realized that Musichetta and Cosette were on the other side of the table.

"I'm gonna sit over there, Marius. So, if you need anything, just scooch down," she smiled sweetly at him. Okay, so maybe she still had a little bit of feelings for him, but it wasn't overpowering.

As she moved, she felt Enjolras's excruciating stare on her. She thought fast, and then turned back to the boys.

"Oh, and my name is Eponine, by the way," Eponine said. She watched them all look up at her name, then she added, "Goodman. Eponine Goodman."

They all turned back to their food. _So they still remember me…_ She sat down next to Cosette.

"Hey," Eponine greeted.

"Hey," both said.

"Do you have close connections with that one guy, Marius?" Cosette asked, shyly.

"Yeah," Eponine affirmed, noticing the slight blush on Cosette's cheeks. "Musichetta and I went to middle school with him."

She looked up, "You did? In all these years together, Musichetta! You never told me!"

Eponine ripped a piece of her chicken, nodding as she ate it. Cosette and Marius would look like little puppies if they got together. She had to make a note of that.

"Do you like him?" Eponine asked her.

Again she looked down on her food, "He's really nice, and cute…"

A cough interrupted them. The boys from the other side had leaned over.

"Mademoiselle, let us introduce ourselves. We are Les Amis. Most of us have been together since the sixth grade," a man with shaggy brown hair and eyeglasses began.

"Please don't call me 'mademoiselle'," Eponine added before they could begin.

"It depends. I'm Bahorel," a broad shouldered man said. The rest followed after.

"Joly!"

"Jehan, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Feuilly."

"'Ponine, you know me. It's Bossuet. From middle school. Unless you were one of those people I met in my dreams whenever I pass out…"

"I'm bat man, and this is my sidekick, Robin," Grantaire and Courfeyrac joked.

The others laughed, but Eponine noticed Enjolras barely flinched. Cold much? Combeferre then turned to her, their faces just a couple inches from each other. He pointed to Enjolras, who was directly behind him, and himself to break to awkwardness that had decided to settle upon them. "And he's En-"

"Enjolras and you're Combeferre," Eponine answered by habit. She used to love saying their names at lunch before. It was their little game. "Comb fair" she used to tease him. "Angel rahz" she used to mispronounce on purpose.

Enjolras quirked an eyebrow, a smirk to accompany it. It seemed as if he thought he busted her. "How do you know our names? You never met us before."

Eponine faced him, "No, I haven't met you before. But Musichetta has told me about you guys. She and I used to go to middle school together." _Enjolras 0, his crush 1_, Eponine thought.

"Well," concluded Enjolras. "It's nice to make your acquaintance. Hopefully you'll get settled into Hugo easily."

"Thank you," Eponine whispered, and the boys went back to their lunch.

Cosette played with her salad. "You're one lucky girl, I've never seen Enjolras say so many words to a woman besides his teachers and mom. And girlfriend of course."

"You know, his girlfriend is one big bitch," Musichetta warned. "She's the captain of the volleyball team, not that there's anything wrong with the rest of the team, and she is also the fucking superintendent's daughter. Wait, I already told you that."

"Anyways," Cosette, "One time, during class, she two of her other friends were giggling and pointing, until the teacher caught them. She scolded the other two even though Colette was definitely part of it."

"Sometimes, I wish I could stick a bomb down her throat and-" Musichetta was interrupted by the shadowing figures behind her. There stood Colette, next to her were what Eponine assumed were her friends. One was a red head and the other was an Asian. The Asian actually looked nice, her features made her look gentle, and her eyes were soft as she stared at them. She looked at them almost with worry.

"Stick a bomb down whose throat?" Colette asked her.

Musichetta turned around, "Just a little Barbie princess."

"Better be," Colette directed at her, then at Eponine, "Listen, newbie, let me tell you the rules of the school. One," she stuck her pointer finger out, "Mess with me, and you'll be kicked out on your small behind. Two, don't think you are worthy of my boyfriend. Don't even go near two feet of him. And last but not least, don't block my path, either physically or technically. When I say technically, that means you DON'T get the lead in a play, or get the highest grade in any class we share." Then Colette turned around, back to her lunch table, where a bunch of other girls were sitting.

"You guys would bail me out of jail if I asked you right?" Eponine questioned, her eyes still glued to Colette.

They both answered knowing what she meant, "Hell yeah."

A week later, Eponine and Enjolras still weren't really speaking, Eponine because she was having trouble balancing all her activities, Enjolras because he had too much pride.

Eponine sat in a beanbag in the library, thinking of a subject for her journalism class. She had her legs up in the air, her full back on the beanbag. Her head was touching the floor, hair sprawled out in every direction. In front of her was her notepad containing her ideas.

She groaned, nothing was coming to her mind. Closing her eyes, she threw the notebook in front of her. Her face scrunched when she never heard the sound of paper hitting the carpet. Curious, she opened an eye, only to be greeted by Enjolras, holding her notebook out, as if he caught it, which is probably what happened.

Her eyes widened and she rolled out of the beanbag, getting up. "Sorry! Did I hit you?"

"No, no," he assured, the hints of a smile coming on, "I got it. Here."

"Thanks," she reached out. The tips of their fingers brushed lightly, and a small spark seemed to flare.

"Oh, sorry," Enjolras apologized, "It's getting cold and I seem to shock everything I touch." He had the idea that the shock was actually the scientific type.

"Pun intended?" Eponine asked teasingly. She got up to examine the bookshelves.

"What?"

"You know. You just said you seemed to shock everything you touch, and if you touched a girl, in a modest way, she would be shocked."

"That's not what I meant. No pun intended."

"I was teasing you. Relax."

He picked her notepad up. "You need subjects for a story?"

"Yeah. I can't think of anything! I usually feel inspired in a library! Books full of stories surround me. The creativity never seems to end! But me, I'm just- ugh! - I can't even think of an adjective!"

Enjolras sat down on the beanbag next to hers. "If you like books so much, why don't you write about the new thing? The book everyone is talking about."

Eponine turned around, biting her lip. "The new big book… That's genius!" She pulled the beanbag closer to Enjolras and started writing in her notepad.

"You should write about _The Fault in Our Stars _or _Divergent_," Enjolras suggested, "It's the new buzz."

"You know those books exist?" Eponine asked.

"I'm not a hermit, Eponine." Her name on his tongue was like the best lollipop he could have.

"Again, just teasing. You gotta learn how to take jokes Enjolras!" Eponine nudged him.

From that day on, they hung around each other almost every day. Their friendship blossomed, and it was almost like reliving their sixth grade lives, except Eponine wasn't a Thenardier.

Everything was running smoothly, until Marius decided to hold a party for Halloween…

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading this, and also to everyone who said this wasn't crappy. It means a lot to me since I love writing. Again, thank you! Sorry about any grammar mistakes, and I don't own these characters. Please review, like, or follow!**

**-Franky**


	10. A Little Halloween Party

**A Little Halloween Party**

_BANG, BANG._ That was the noise Eponine's head made with Le Café Musain's table. She was bored out of her mind! All of Les Amis had gathered together planning to do something for Halloween, and nothing was really coming to them.

Marius jumped, "We'll have a party at my place! Everything has recently been remodeled, and what better way to bust it in than a Halloween party?!"

"Marius! That's actually smart!" Courfeyrac teased.

"I'm not stupid," Marius grumbled. He crossed his arms.

"But you have been drifting off lately. Dreaming of someone, dear Marius?" Eponine teased. She ran her fingers across his shoulder.

"I like the way you tease, Eponine," Marius said.

"Oh! But Marius? _Has_ a lady occupied your mind? Or maybe he's down with the flu!" Joly panicked.

Marius blushed madly. "She's just a girl who sometimes hangs with us. That's all."

Eponine smirked. "Marius, this party of yours, may I invite a friend? She's very sweet. Cosette?"

He looked down, smiling to himself. "That would be wonderful Eponine."

Everyone looked at each other, suspicions correct. Eponine mouthed, _I got this._ Everyone else nodded.

She got up, "Well, I'll see you all at the party. Invite other people too, Marius! Don't forget to dress up."

(Marius's House)

Eponine, Musichetta, and Cosette stood in front of the modern, yet woodsy house. It looked elegant, but not in a bragging kind of way. The bottom of the house was stone, the middle was painted yellow, and the gray shingles on the roof complemented the stone. All in all, Eponine was impressed, especially with the size. For such an extravagant house, it wasn't too large. It seemed to hold just the right amount of rooms.

Before the girls walked up to the door, Eponine looked at Cosette. "'Sette, don't be shy around Marius, okay? You can do this!"

Cosette laughed, "Alright, _mom._"

Eponine nodded, then she rang the doorbell. Before the chime could even finish, Marius appeared at the door. He was dressed as a bourgeoisie from the 1800's, waistcoat and everything.

"You ladies are looking swell tonight!" Marius complemented them, but he kept his eye on Cosette. "C'mon in. Cosette, you look stunning right now. Not that you don't always look stunning, I- I- You look-"

Eponine and Musichetta shook their heads, walking past him. "She gets the point Marius. You look at her a lot and think she's pretty," Musichetta called out.

"She does look cute in that outfit, though. Maybe Cosette should always dress up as Alice from _Alice in Wonderland,"_ Musichetta told Eponine. Eponine nodded, laughing.

While Cosette was dressed as Alice, Musichetta had dressed up as Merida from brave. Apparently last year she was Ariel. Eponine herself was dressed up like a newsboy. She decided to dress up like one in honor of Newsies, the Broadway show, which had closed. She wore a faded blue blouse, some torn beige trousers, and black boots. Her messenger bag was filled with about three newspapers, and her old newsboy cap. She hadn't worn the cap since she was in sixth grade, which was the perfect way to tell a certain someone about her past.

She made her way to the kitchen, where Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Enjolras were. Picking up a couple of chips and a soda, Musichetta left her, heading over to Joly and Bossuet, her boyfriends. Eponine caught sight of the boys. Courfeyrac was a power ranger, Combeferre dressed as a nerd, and Enjolras was dressed as a revolutionary. One hot, angelic revolutionary. His curls were in disarray, his face was challenging. He wore a white shirt, loose, black cravat, black pants, and the French flag tied on to his waist. To top it off, he wore a vest that looked like fancy, golden ribs on red fabric.

"Hay gurl, haaaay," Courfeyrac sang as Eponine appeared. She burst out laughing. Combeferre stood there with a crooked smile, and Enjolras was emotionless as ever. At least, that's what he tried to display. Inside, his stomach was lurching, his heart was increasing in speed, and his palms were getting sweaty.

He wouldn't admit it, but Eponine had been causing this reaction to him ever since they grew close. She was amazing to him! Everything he wanted in a girl. It was almost too good to be true, and it probably was. The problem was, he hoped he didn't like her just because she was like _her._ He didn't want to take advantage of Eponine. He didn't want to date her just because she reminded him of _her._ Not that he wanted to date her…

And that costume was not helping his judgment about her. She looked like a gamine from the 1700s-1800s. A baggy shirt, long khaki pants, and a large jacket covered her frame. She looked like an older version of _her. _If only Eponine wore a news boy cap, then he would lose it. Those girls and their similarity to each other! He could barely contain his frustration.

"Hey guys," Eponine replied after calming down. "The nights still young, so let's party like there's no tomorrow!"

"Eponine," Enjolras called, "I don't mean to burst your bubble, but there is still tomorrow, and I would like to be alive to see it."

"I'm not a crazy partier. Really, Enjolras, loosen up. Try to have some sort of fun."

"He has fun re-writing the United States' constitution, that's for sure," teased Courfeyrac.

"Guys, you've got it all wrong," Combeferre started, "He likes stamp collecting!"

They all laughed, except Enjolras who was red with embarrassment. "I do NOT go stamp collecting!" He shouted. Then hissed to Combeferre, "Don't you DARE tell them any more of my secrets!"

Courfeyrac stopped all of a sudden, and started whistling. "Who's that lady? Sexy lady… Hubba hubba! And look, she's dressed as a nerd too! Combeferre, my friend, come with me!" He took Combeferre's hand, dragging him toward the girl, and they got lost in the crowd. Eponine and Enjolras were left together.

"So…" Eponine dragged out. "How's life?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together, "What?"

"How's life?" Eponine shouted.

"'Ow's knife?'" Enjolras repeated, "What does that mean?"

"Oh my god," Eponine shook her head. Out of impatience, she took his large hand and pulled him through the throng of people. She didn't see his tomato face and stiff muscles. Eponine dragged him to a pair of doors and out into the porch.

The cold air hit them, but in a nice way. Eponine let go of his hand, mesmerized by the view the porch gave them. Deep inside, there was a feeling of disappointment in her stomach when she realized her hand was not holding his, and the she realized she had held his hand and panicked a bit.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Enjolras asked, now next to her.

"Beautiful," Eponine breathed out. A small forest of trees and flowers stood in front of her. Once in a while, she'd see a doe or rabbit run by. Behind the array of trees were hills was a road, the lights looking like moving fireflies and stars.

"I like living in a small, quiet city," Enjolras thought aloud, "But big, bustling cities have always appealed to me for some reason."

"Big cities? Really? I thought you liked to keep as little human interaction as you can!" Eponine teased.

"I'm not that antisocial. There's an air in the city that makes it feel like things are actually getting done. I just really like that."

"Wow, I was just teasing, and then you made it all personal. You made it sound so perfect."

He laughed. "The city isn't as perfect as I made it sound."

"Don't assume that I haven't been in a city! Hell, I lived there for half my life!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah! But before, I lived in this quaint little town. I enjoyed the place very much."

"Where'd you live?"

She turned to him, smiling shyly, "Here."

"What? I've never… Nobody has ever run into you-"

"All of you have. You all know me, but don't."

"Eponine that's not possible."

"It is. Who do you think I am, Enjolras?"

"Eponine."

"No, who do you really think I am? What's my name? What am I like?"

"You're Eponine Goodman. You're a smart, caring girl, sassy at times, but caring."

"I'm also someone else. A double life, I dare say."

"What do you mean? Is this what it feels like to be lost? Seriously, you're talking-" She pressed a finger to his lips.

Excited that finally she could be herself, and finally be able to live in perfect harmony, she took out her cap. Sliding it on, she proclaimed, "My name is Eponine Thenardier. You know me from sixth grade. We were classmates, the best of friends, and something more."

Enjolras stood there, eyes wide, mouth open, and a confusing facial expression. He was angry, relieved, sad, joyful, and all at once. Anger was powerful though, and it controlled his next actions.

(Back inside)

Grantaire was chatting it up with Jehan. They were pairing the young students up when suddenly the porch doors flew open. In came Eponine, tears streaming down her face and a hand held up to her cheek. She sped past all the worried and confused glances and straight out the door. He looked back to the porch area and saw Enjolras with his fists clenched, back to the door, but he could tell he was breathing hard.

Shit, she told him. And he wasn't happy. They were screwed.

**A/N: Hey! Sorry this chapter was soooo delayed. It was hard to write. I know, excuses, excuses. Sorry for any grammar mistakes. Hope you enjoyed! Please favorite, review, or follow. Thanks!**

**-Franky**


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